From Watered Down 914's, Beating a dead horse but it's my dead horse! Options

[BRAVE_HELIOS]

Hey all, Sorry I have not responded sooner. I've been away for a few weeks in Europe celebrating my 25th anniversary and visiting with family in Sicily!

Anyway; I did have some time to review things and have found some interesting things indeed.

First, for the time being, I am going to assume my plumbing is mostly correct. So...

1. I found that my RH manual from 1992 and Ed Ducey's V8 Conversion manual both call for 1 inch diameter hose from the t-stat to the rad inlet and 1.25 inch from the rad outlet to the WP. I have 1.25 inch to and fro. Would this make a difference? IDK, but it's cheap enough for me to try it and see what happens.

2. From the same informational sources; I found that the 350 CID engine requires 525 Sq inches of rad surface (350 * 1.5). Also noted, they both recommend a minimum of a 2 row, double pass rad of the correct sq. inches. The rad in my car by comparison is a cross flow (single pass), 2 row, 426 sq in. rad. My rad (15.5 x 27.5) is around 20% smaller than what the sources recommend!

3. The sources mention that the valance/bumper opening for air to the rad should be a minimum of 1 sq. foot (144 sq inch). The opening of my Chalon front bumper is 21 x 5 inches or 105 sq inches. That is around 27 % smaller than what is recommended! Don't really know what to do with that other than to hack the opening bigger and deal with body work and paint! Would such a smaller opening make a difference?

4. Therefore, besides replacing my 1.25 inch hose from t-stat to rad with 1 inch (doing so will allow less volume and greater pressure for that side... may that make a difference?), I am looking at a rad that is a 2 row, double pass unit that measures 28 x 19, which yields 532 sq. inches. There also a 31 x 19 rad (2 row/double pass) that yields 589 sq. inches. Either should fit, angled as mine is now although the 31 inch would be a tighter fit between the headlight buckets.

A question though... which will have better cooling, having more than a two rows (like a 3 or 4 row) single pass rad or a 2 row, double pass unit? It might be possible to get a 3 row, double pass rad but I think those are really pricey. The sources both say the 2 row double pass rad of the correct area for a 350 is sufficient but old school in me says 3-4 row single pass could be better.

Any suggestions?

[BRAVE_HELIOS]

I spent yesterday swapping radiators. Note the size difference between the out-going single pass Griffon and the new 2 row, double pass AFCO radiator.


Where the shroud from the Ford Taurus fan fit the Griffon fairly well; it is now a bit on the small side. I will need to address that at some point. It still sucks through a lot of hot air!

Old rad:





Since the swap, I have driven it twice staying close to home just in case. It's been warm/hot on both occasions, in the 80's with direct sunshine on car and roads. I think the system is still trying to bleed its air out.

The second time I drove it with the new rad, the temp stayed steady at 180 until I came to a traffic light and there it crept up to around 190. Home was a short distance. it stayed at 190 when I pulled it into the garage (in shade). I kept it running, stepped out and placed my hand by the bumper grille opening and felt air not being drawn in but being pushed out! I thought I had the fan wired backwards so I opened the hood but the fan was working correctly, pulling in lots of hot air into the front compartment! Opening the hood also stopped any air coming out of the grille opening.

Could this be my issue? How can there be hot air being discharged from the bumper grille opening when I know the fan is drawing in air and lots of it? Should I address this before I start looking at an electric water pump?